Raving about The Raven: Edgar Allen Poe-inspired cafe in downtown Port Huron

Port Huron's The Raven: on an afternoon bright and cheery, we enjoyed a scrumptious chai tea brownie 

On an afternoon bright and cheery, while we pondered tea sincerely, biz lunch at The Raven with chai brownies. Quoth me, I'd like more. 

Last month, we mixed business with pleasure while visiting Port Huron on a cool, but sunny, March afternoon. Barb's Tea Service has been invited to host a tea in this historic Michigan city later this year and, after a very enlightening tour of the Port Huron Museum, we took a quick drive to the main street of town to have lunch at The Raven.  A unique waterfront restaurant with, as you may have surmised, an Edgar Allen Poe theme. It's as delicious as it is quirky and we can't wait to go back.

Lunch on the second floor & adjoining balcony. We'll take advantage of the latter soon.

The Raven was new to me, but not to BTS team member, Pam B., who, knowing we were traveling to Port Huron, suggested this cafe for lunch. A few years back, on a trip to Stratford, Ontario, her posse of patrons of the arts stopped at The Raven for a repast before crossing the Blue Water Bridge.

Coincidentally, our business contact at the museum, also recommended The Raven. 

A quick review of the menu and I was sold. They had me at "Pit and the Pendulum Grilled Rueben". 

On arrival, we followed our hostess to the second floor to cozy space which faces the water. In warmer temps, we would have enjoyed a table on the adjoining balcony, but on this late winter afternoon, we were content to enjoy the views from inside along with the comforts of a hot beverage.

Although we did partake in their delicious coffee, along with a soup and sandwich combo, we did take tea in the form of one of their "Dreamland Desserts", specifically the chai brownie. This scrumptious confection is served with a drizzle of caramel syrup. It was incredible. 

A glimpse of Port Huron from top of the museum. See you later this year!

Our server was incredible as well - even offering to brave the chilly temps to take a less backlit photo of our table from the balcony. We declined, but we were appreciative - actually in awe - of the offer.

We plan to go back soon and take advantage of that balcony. . . and, perhaps another chai brownie or two. As earlier quoth-ed, we'd like more. 

For more information on this delightful Port Huron cafe, check out this link to The Raven. 

Barb's Tea Service is now on Substack!

Find Barbara Gulley on Substack, where we talk tea and tea-adjacent topics

 

This year, Barb's Tea Service is celebrating its "Emerald Anniversary" with twenty years in business. Thus far, we've also engaged in social media, for almost as long, to connect with our fellow tea-enthusiasts on Facebook, Twitter, blogspot, Instagram, YouTube and SoundCloud. 

And, now, Substack!

If you're new to the outlet, welcome - so am I. But, to be fair, it is relatively new on the scene. According to a Newsweek article last month, "Why Is Everyone Suddenly on Substack?", the San Franciso-based tech platform only launched in 2017 and already is "home" to 50,000 publishers. 

Who's on Substack? 

There's a wide range of contributors including former New York Times opinion editor Bari Weiss, FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver, journalist Dan Rather and the talented, singer/songwriter, millennial son of one of my besties. 

And, now Barb's Tea Service.

At the urging of my Podcast co-host, Chris, I signed up to Substack last month and published two articles to date. The first one was just an intro, the second, a topic very familiar to BTS blog readers:  Jane Austen. For our first true content piece, we reviewed three film adaptions of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (and, yes, one of them covers Mr. Collins' mastery of the banal dinner conversation, i.e., "the most excellent boiled potatoes").

Our second Substack article reviews three Austen film adaptations. 

To date, many publishers quoted in Newsweek like Substack's kinder/gentler environment. According to Catherine Valentine, Substack's head of politics, content producers like the great visibility but also, "more than that, [they] have been able to find a community with their readers".

We hope you will be part of our communi-tea.  😊 Please check us out with the link below and we'd love if you "subscribe" (no charge!) 

Barbara’s Substack | Barbara Gulley | Substack

Barb's Tea Service Podcast's first year anniversary: We celebrate with Sparkling Tea, a 30-minute retrospective and lots of Earl Grey!

A sparkling tea toast to Barb's Tea Service Podcast's first anniversary!

 

Today marked our one-year anniversary of Barb's Tea Service's podcast. We - me and my co-host, studio engineer and "arm candy" - celebrated with a highlights show at ONTV studio, toasting with sparkling tea. With almost 40 podcasts completed in the last twelve months, we're excited for Season Two, with more adventures, more special guests, and, yes, a lot more tea!

For Podcast Anniversary, we swapped our usual hot tea for sparking tea.

Last March, we were schooled by the expert staff at ONTV on the basics of studio recording and then it was time to figuratively cut the cord and "go live".  Our first podcast was a bit rough with a few miscues and some mildly stilted conversation, but we made it to twenty minutes of content, relieved to call it a wrap.

We ended with the sage words of 1980's singer/songwriter, Howard Jones:  "things can only get better".

Learning the recording ropes. 

After the initial recording, the nerves settled, and we got more comfortable. We then cemented our podcast programming staples:  sampling a new tea, sharing our tea-drinking vessel, talking about tea and tea-adjacent (and tea-adjacent-adjacent) topics, sharing viewer feedback, and tackling controversial topics (who can forget the backlash from the dining etiquette dictum that french fries should be eaten with the use of knife and fork?)

Chris with flavor wheels

Thirty-six teas sampled, 8 were Earl Grey

I

In our 36 podcasts, we've sampled 36 different teas of which 8 were Earl Grey, 3 were Breakfast teas and to round out that category, 14 other assorted black tea blends.  In addition, we tried, 2 white teas, 1 oolong, 1 Darjeeling, 2 green, 1 lapsang souchong and 4 different ginger teas. Chris was always at the ready with not one, but two flavor wheels to zero in on the most apt definition of tasting notes.  

Rob first joined us for Podcast 5.

Then we invited special guests to the program, starting with our son, Rob, who, with his radio voice and cheekiness, was a natural behind the microphone. He's been on our podcast three times, the last time in December with girlfriend, Megan, who talked about an organization close to her heart, Animal House, a non-profit cat adoption agency she volunteers for. Her "at ease", engaging personality translated "on air" so fluidly it was as though she was just comfortably talking to us in our living room and not tethered to headphones in a high tech studio. This dynamic duo are welcome back anytime!

Rob and Megan, special guests on Podcast 26

Another confidently communicative couple (and good friends), Rik and Carol were also special guests of the BTS podcast. They, too, shared an organization they are passionate about, their own local chapter of Toastmasters, the Confident Communicators. With years of public speaking, they, too, "owned" the studio and we enjoyed their visit - and the door is always open for a return engagement.

Barb with confident communicators, Rik and Carol D. for Podcast 8

Although we've joked that our running topics - Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, Jane Austen, the Gilded Age, Royals, salt sellers, knife rests and tablescapes - could be mapped on BINGO cards, we've also gone from the intensely serious subjects to the hard driving fluff. In one episode topics can range from the tragic end of an Austrian princess* to the sum total of the Gabor sisters' husbands**. 

Testing to take out on the road 

Back in the studio, learning the remote equipment

                   

And, again, with the incredible staff at ONTV, Chris and I enhanced our podcasting skills to go remote. We checked out the studios somewhat portable equipment and went live on-site, at the lovely lakefront home of our go-to guest, Rob. Aside from lighting issues, we were successful and aim to literally take the show on the road in the future.

Remote set up. Bonus - two techies in the family.

And, that's a wrap on first out-of-studio podcast.

So, yes, on our agenda for BTS Podcast, Season 2, as noted above:   more remote programs, more special guests, more tea, more controversy and fire up your daubers, we'll continue with more of our favorite BINGO-worthy subjects.

As we like to say at Barb's Tea Service, "please stay tuned".

A special thanks to good friends, Pam and Quint, for all the content sourcing and suggestions and a note to our other children - you know who you are - join your older brother in the studio and get your own special guest mug!

Special guests get this tea mug!

Bonus: Special Guests Mug

*Podcast 11

**Podcast 20

🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

You can find our Podcasts at the following:

If you are looking to watch as well as listen, you can find us on YouTube, either directly on our station or ONTV's site:

• Barb's Tea Service - YouTube
• Orion Neighborhood Television - YouTube  (search "Barb's Tea Service")

To be automatically notified when our latest podcast hits YouTube, subscribe to our channel. We appreciate your "likes" and "comments".

Audio only (our half hour segments are perfect for a neighborhood-walk-listen or a short drive in the car), can be found on SoundCloud via ONTV (again, search "Barb's Tea Service"). Just download the SoundCloud app.

If you have an iPhone, you can find us on apple podcast. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Barb's Tea Service: We're celebrating Irish tea, Irish ancestry and Ireland!

Barry's and Bewley's are favorite Irish teas.

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day, a day where everyone is Irish! We're celebrating with Irish tea and a tribute to Ireland.

Last week, on our BTS podcast, co-host, studio engineer and arm candy, Chris - who does have some Irish roots - and I raised a cup of Barry's tea in honor of the upcoming holiday.  Along with a few Ireland tea facts, we shared a few of our favorite mostly tea-related memories of our family trip to the Emerald Isle in 2012.

We thought we'd bring some of that - and more! - to today's blog. 

First, the tea stats:

According to a January, 2025 article on the Luxury Life’s website, authored by Liam O’Conner, (who, I think by name alone, has a lot of street cred), here are some Ireland tea facts:

• Black tea is the most popular type of tea consumed in Ireland, typically enjoyed with milk.
• Leading brands include Barry's Tea and Bewley's Tea, known for their rich blends.
• Irish tea consumption averages about 2.19 kg per person annually (translates to 3 to 6 cups daily).
• Tea plays a vital role in social gatherings, symbolizing warmth and hospitality in Irish culture.
• Brewing techniques emphasize loose leaf varieties, with steeping times of 3.5 to 5 minutes for optimal flavor.

We found all this to be true when we traveled to Ireland. We never had a bad cup of tea and that's drawn from a wide sample of venues and regions from a Dublin jail to the home of Waterford crystal to a family homestead, all had a story to tell and a drink to share.

Afternoon tea at Westbury in Dublin

Tea in Gaol, with barred windows

Ireland, the trip

A little over 14 years ago, Chris and I  traveled to Ireland with two of our children, Matt and Rachel.

Our homebase was Dublin, at the Castle Hotel, a two-minute walk to the city's main boulevard, O'Connell Street. In Dublin, we had tea at Kilmainham Gaol, complete with the original barred windows, the upscale Westbury Hotel and a quick stop at Bewley’s. The latter was extremely crowded, but their tea was worth the wait.

Bewley's was crowded, but worth the wait.

Leaving the city for a grand tour, we stopped at Waterford, toured the factory and enjoyed a cream tea in their cafe.

From there we headed to Blarney, where we kissed the stone, then on to Cobh, where, at the time, we had our choice of two museums:  The Titanic Museum or the famine museum. 

We opted for a self-directed tour of the village and in the spirit of the Irish, we explored a church and concluded in a tavern, where we warmed up with not tea, but a comforting cup of Irish coffee.

Outside Blarney castle on the way to sad museums in Cobh

We did leave trains and busses and sad places behind later that week and spent a day driving by car north to explore family roots. Chris was the one who braved driving on "the wrong side" to a small village where his ancestors once lived. 

Waterford tea (beautiful chandelier in back)

Wateford factory tour.

The Whitcroft family, on Chris' mother's side, immigrated to Canada in the early 1800's (before the famine).  We were armed with maps, photos and a general idea of the homestead, but, we needed some local assistance, and, with the luck of the Irish, we found a pot of gold with Mrs. McNally.

Mrs. McNally joined us for tea and family history.

In the tiny town of Clontibret, (population of 166), near the church, was a convenience store with a small restaurant. We asked the woman behind the counter - who turned out to be the owner - if she had any knowledge of the Whitcroft family. Without a moment's hesitation, she told us to "wait here" and she'd go get her mother who knew a great deal of the town's history.

We didn't realize this meant the store's owner would leave the premises, get in her car, peel out of the parking lot and, five minutes later, return with her mother, Mrs.McNally.

Rachel and Matt in front of what was once the Whitcroft homestead.

Mrs. McNally joined us for tea in one of the small diner's booths and took in all of our Whitcroft documents. She gave us a textbook's worth of local stories and pinpointed where Chris' relatives once lived. With the information she supplied, we drove to the area where the Whitcrofts formerly resided. 

Rainbows, like pots of tea, are lovely and plentiful in Ireland.

It was a beautiful bucolic setting:  rolling verdant hills, grazing sheep and cows, and a hint of amber hued tree leaves. If that wasn't spectacular enough, as if on cue, a rainbow appeared. 

Although, as we learned quickly, rainbows, like a pot of hot tea, are not an uncommon, but always welcomed, site in Ireland.

Wishing you all a happy St. Patrick's day, filled with a bit of blarney, a bouquet of rainbows and 3 to 6 cups of hearty Irish tea!

What's in a name like Sussex? Is the "With Love" host entitled to the title Duchess? Lady Glencoe investigates!

Who's entitled to a title? Lady G. investigates!

With Love, Meghan, the latest Netflix lifestyle series featuring the Duchess of Sussex, has garnered attention, but not so much for the host's kitchen skills (chopping up fruit for a rainbow display, chopping up meats and cheeses for a charcuterie board -without so much as even one meat rose!), but for her steadfast commitment to, not only her new surname, but title as well.

Is Meghan really a Sussex? Is she still a Duchess? 

As a somewhat dubious titled person, I felt a connection and a need to investigate.

As mentioned in last week's BTS blog, Duchess of Sussex. . .Our early review of Meghan's Netflix lifestyle series, we noted Meghan's slight admonishment of her special guest, Mindy Kaling. In what seemed like a good-natured conversation about their respective childhoods, Kaling referred to the host as "Meghan Markle", to which the former "Suits" actress quickly corrected her, stating "you know I'm Sussex now".

Megxit cover story. Still Sussex, but not HRH

Many of us were as surprised as Kaling by the surname declaration and more opinions hit the media than the bounty of homemade dog biscuits Meghan baked up - but both commentary and canine treats served up some tasty morsels for eager consumers.

In a recent interview in Town and Country, Lord Ivar Mountbattan, a British aristocrat and a member of the extended royal family, weighed in on the debate around Meghan Markle’s moniker. Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a descendant of Queen Victoria, told Town and Country that Meghan is “completely incorrect” about her last name being Sussex.

Meghan Sussex makes canine treats.

 “Her children are called Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor; they're not called Archie and Lilibet Sussex because Sussex is a title. So, they are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but actually he's Harry Mountbatten-Windsor and she would be Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor,” Mountbatten explained.

More Sussex opinions than dog treats, but both serve up tasty morsels.

He further added, “My brother is the Marquess of Milford Haven, but his surname is Mountbatten, so he's called George Mountbatten, the Marquess of Milford Haven". (Guessing there's a shorthand nickname for close friends).

However, according to a New York Time’s article last week, in an interview with Rachel Bowie, the royals editor for the lifestyle website PureWow, Bowie didn’t think what Meghan said was problematic at all, adding that it’s “totally within royal protocol.”

“Even though Archie and Lili were christened ‘Mountbatten-Windsor,’ Harry and Meghan are borrowing Sussex from their title to make up their last name,”

Most in the NYT article are in the same camp as Lord Ivor, who is not only a royal but a reality TV show star from “Traitors".

Executive producer of With Love, Meghan, is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

Per Hilary Fordwich, a royal family expert, Meghan is  "either totally oblivious to what her actual name is, she doesn’t understand it or she’s lying,”

Ms. Fordwich explained that while it isn’t new for a member of the royal family to choose to go by their birth titles, that doesn’t usually make it their family name.

 “By established protocol, he can use Harry Sussex, which I’ve never heard him use,” she said. “She could choose to use Meghan Sussex, but it’s not their surname. This was the issue in that Netflix clip.”

Charcuterie from Meghan, nice but. . .

Charcuterie from Lady G., includes meat rose!

Not surprisingly, the no-stranger-to-fanning-media-frenzy, Thomas Markle, Meghan’s estranged father, complained to the Daily Mail about his daughter's decision to no longer use the name Markle. We suspect, as much as it might help ratings, Mr. Markle will not be a special guest on With Love anytime soon.

With core Royals, however, surnames can be viewed as superfluous. According to the official website for the British Royal Family, members of the Royal Family can be known both by the name of the Royal house, and by a surname, but, bottom line, it’s uncommon for core members to be referred to by a surname at all.

Harry& Meghan wedding merch, soon to be Sussex?

In fact, last names for the Royal Family are relatively new on the scene. Until 1917, they were referred to only by the name of the house or dynasty they belonged to. King George V adopted Windsor as the name of the house and surname of his family. 

Then, in 1960, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Harry’s grandparents, altered the name to  Mountbatten-Windsor, which included Philip’s family name (and apparently, now the surname of a current reality TV star).

Celebrating the Sussex nuptials on Fox 2, sharing all my royal merch.

But, what about the title of "Duchess"? Is that as controversial as the adopted surname of "Sussex"? Based on accepted protocol and the lack of social media debate, entitlement of this title is acceptable.

As explained in Newsweek (June 2024), Queen Elizabeth II granted her grandson, Harry, three new titles, the most senior of these was the Dukedom of Sussex.

When Harry married Meghan, she became the first Duchess of Sussex, although, she is not a duchess in her own right.  Marriage to Harry also gave Meghan the style of Her Royal Highness (HRH). But, when the couple split from the royal family, the HRH became the only address to be removed (although they still legally retain them). 

So, yes, Meghan is very much entitled to use her title, as she does at the end of every With Love, episode. Credits show the executive producer of the Netflix series is "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex".

Lord and Lady Glencoe

In the spirit of address and titles, I would also like to clarify how I may be referred to. Married to the Lord of Glencoe (a title that comes with a square foot of land in Scotland at the most reasonable cost of less than my last pair of Hokas), I can be called Lady Glencoe, (self-appointed) Duchess of Pemberly Pines. 

Or, with love, just Barb from Barb's Tea Service. 

Rutherford B. Hayes home: A presidential home visit (our fourth this year!)

Dining room of Rutherford B. Hayes home in Freemont, Ohio. Holiday dinners in December!

This month, Spiegel Grove, the Freemont, Ohio estate of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States, became our 12th individual POTUS home/library visit. An impressive 19th-century home, many of the rooms have been restored to the time period when Hayes, his wife, Lucy and their family lived there, including many of their personal furnishings. 

The home was originally built by Hayes' uncle and guardian, Sardis Birchard, between 1859 and 1863 (Hayes' father died shortly before he was born). Constructed as a summer home that Birchard could share with his nephew and young family, Hayes, was fond of the two-story brick home with eight bedrooms, especially the veranda.

Hayes wanted "a veranda with a home". 

Per the Rutherford B. Hayes museum's website, in 1873, Hayes wrote in his diary, "the best part of the present house is the veranda. But, I would enlarge it. I want a veranda with a house attached." 

He spent the next twenty years planning additions and improvements, including the "large parlor" and a personal library to house his 12,000 books (guessing no pressure from his spouse to download more, accumulate less).

With fellow history buffs, just outside the "large parlor"

Last week, Chris and I, along with friends and fellow history buffs, Pam and Quint, stopped at the Rutherford B. House on our way back from our mini-sojourn in Cleveland (back to the Cleveland Art Museum, this time for a Picasso exhibit - future blog story!). On a very cold March afternoon, we made the short trek from parking lot to the aforementioned veranda, and were greeted warmly by our guide who welcomed us into the grand hallway. Leaning back and looking up, we not only took in the very high ceilings, but a staircase that dominated several floors up. The tour is restricted to only two floors (and we were okay with that).

Personal library with 12,000 books

Staircase, four stories, though tour stops at two

 

Hayes did extend the home and our guide pointed out the demarcation of the original footprint and the additions, starting at the right of the front entrance and beyond the staircase. The "large parlor" was added by Hayes to accommodate their guests as well as their children. Throughout the house, there are several family portraits and pictures of Abraham Lincoln, a president Hayes held in high regard.

Bed with comforter from Lucy's mother.

Sewing machine, another gift.

In a rather modern design, the primary suite is on the first floor. Lucy and Rutherford's bed, which seems, by today's standards, very small, is outfitted in the original bedding gifted to them by Lucy's mother and, in the corner, another present to her daughter, a sewing machine.

This first floor bedroom is attached to Hayes' bathroom, complete with sink, bathtub, commode and a door to the outside, should he wish to make a quick escape from visitors.

and exit door for quick "escapes".

Ensuite bathroom/mancave: tub, commode, sink. . .

 

Another bedroom we found interesting was the one that belonged to Fanny, the only daughter of Lucy and Rutheford. Over the fireplace is a portrait of father and daughter, although, we were told Hayes didn't care for it. He thought Fanny was much prettier than the picture.

There are also prized possessions of Fanny on display in the bedroom including a gold chocolate serving set and two china dolls, one of which was made to resemble Fanny's mother. 

Fanny's rooms displays chocolate set and dolls.

Hayes and Fanny portrait

A favorite room of mine was the dining room, complete with the Hayes' china and silver coffee and tea set. Some of the plates used at the White House are on display over the fireplace. Lucy loved animals and nature and those became themes for their official serving pieces. Our guide told us not every White House guest was pleased with the plates as, while they secured food from the dishes, "eyes" of animals would be staring back at them.

White House dishes. Animal theme not so popular with White House guests.

Our guide also shared that the museum hosts an annual holiday dinner in the dining room where guests are served a multi-course meal in the fashion of the Hayes' era. Following proper etiquette, diners are announced once entering the room and then seated. (How much fun would that be??? Asking for a (few) friends.)

Hayes' journey to the White House was filled with a long list of admirable achievements: Harvard Law school grad, attorney, a major general in the Civil War, a congressman and Governor of Ohio. 

His presidency was off to a rocky start with electoral votes being questioned and deals brokered. And, in the one term he committed to, he made many controversial decisions, two of, perhaps, the biggest involved federal troops. Specifically, removal of troops from Reconstruction states and deploying them during The Great Railway Strike of 1877. (HBO's Gilded Age series highlights the tragic conditions of the ladder as George Russel tries to negotiate a temporary solution.)

Lucy was also accomplished in her own rite and was the first First Lady to graduate from college. 

Another controversial aspect of the Hayes' presidency was Rutherford and Lucy's abolition of wine in the White House. although they still managed to entertain with "elegance and variety".  This practice of alcohol moderation followed after they left the White House and, a reporter coined the phrase "Lemonade Lucy" to the former First Lady.

Both Rutherford and Lucy enjoyed tea, the President often writing about his afternoon tea and who joined him. 

Hayes' themed teas and mugs from gift shop.

In the Rutherford B. Hayes museum, teas are sold that pay homage to the President and First Lady. "President Hayes" tea is a black tea with creme flavor and in honor of his wife, there's "Lucy's Lemonade". We bought them both (and a Rutherford B. Hayes tea mug) - and, yes, a future blog review on those historic blends is in the works.

Rutherford B. Hayes home and library. We'll be back. . . 

We enjoyed our tour of the Rutherford B. Hayes home and learning more about the 19th President of the U.S. We hope to be back. . . perhaps a holiday dinner in December?